Beat the Clock (2002)
This is chronicling the 2002 version of Beat the Clock. Even though this version isn't part of a Nickelodeon game show. Game format This version, the final "genuine" one, aired daily from September 2, 2002 to September 4, 2003 on PAX TV (the first week of shows was called a "preview week"). Taped at Universal Studios Florida, three couples (colored red, gold & blue) competed in this version. Round 1 To start the game, all three couples faced-off in a stunt. The first couple to complete the stunt got 10 points and the advantage of having to play a 30-Second Solo Stunt first. The winners of the Opening Stunt were shown 3 items on a tray brought out by hostess Julielinh Parker; the items on that tray represented the stunts themselves, and the first team got to assign the stunts to their 2 opposing couples and themselves. Each couple in turn starting with the couple who won the Opening Stunt played the assigned 30-Second Stunts. But before that, they first had to answer a two-part question; after the question was asked, the female player got to answer and, if she was correct, the male partner got to answer (sometimes they could both answer). If both correct answers were given, 10 seconds was added to the time for a total of 40 seconds. Either way they would then play the stunt; now if the stunt was completed the couple won 10 points plus 1 for every second left on the Clock (Ex: 10 + 3 sec. = 13 points). Round 2 Again all three couples played a Face-Off Stunt. The couples were positioned according to their score, with the couple in first place getting the advantage, the second place couple in the middle, and third at a disadvantage. This was an Elimination Stunt in which first two couples to complete the stunt advanced to round three, while the couple coming in last got eliminated but went home with parting gifts. Round 3 In this round only one stunt was played. Two minutes was the starting time for the stunt, and the two remaining couples bid against each other to see who played the stunt with a lower time limit. Control of who starts the bidding was determined by a question in which the woman of the team that won the Elimination Stunt decided to either have the partner answer or have the opponents answer. Whoever won the question started the bidding. The bidding round was played until one team told the other to "Beat the Clock"; at which point the opposing team played the stunt in the adjusted time limit. If the couple could perform the stunt within that time limit, they won the game; otherwise the other team won. The winning couple went on to the Bonus Round. Bonus Round ("The Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizes") The winning couple went into a play area called "The Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizes" - inside of which was over $25,000 in cash and prizes ($50,000 in cash in the Pilot and $100,000 in the Focus Group Special). The winning couple had 60 seconds to grab as many dollar bills and prize vouchers as they can. They could only grab what was in the air, nothing on the ground, although they could kick up what was on the ground. Each time they grabbed the cash and prizes, the female partner had to stick them in the male partner's little bag strapped around his waist. When time ran out, the team had to put their hands in the air, letting go of any money in their hands, and come out. Everything that was in the bag was theirs to keep. The host usually throws some extra money and vouchers in at the beginning. Later in the run, a gold dollar bill was added. If it was grabbed the money won was doubled (adding cash if prizes were won; adding $500 in cash for each one grabbed to the team's total, on the pilot). The "swirling whirlwind" was previously used in the bonus round of The Diamond Head Game, a show hosted by Bob Eubanks in 1975. Pilot Rules The pilot is mostly the same as the series but with several differences: *There was a different hostess named Tina Willie. *Teams played for time throughout the game instead of points in the first round. 30 seconds was the base time for all three couples. The time earned in the game was the time used in the bonus game. *There were no questions. Round 1 *10 seconds was given to the couple who completed the opening stunt. *Completing the round one stunts earned earned 20 seconds plus whatever time was left. Round 2 This round presented a special guest. It revived the special guest solo stunt from the 1969-1974 version. The couples still get to decide whether the guest will beat the clock or the clock will beat the guest, only this time they get to bet how much of their current time they're willing to wager. A correct decision added the wagered time to their scores, but an incorrect decision subtracted the wagered time from their scores. The two couples with the highest times moved on to round three. Round three was the same except that the winners not only won the game but also received a 30 second bonus. Bonus Round "The Swirling Whirlwind of Money" Using the time earned from the game, the winning couple entered "The Swirling Whirlwind of Money". Inside was a grand total of $50,000 in cash divided up like this: The rules were the same as "The Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizes" (the series bonus) except both players on the winning team went in with one of them in a harness. All cash picked up and placed into the money bag was theirs to keep. There were no returning champions on this version. Merchandise A slot machine based on somewhat of this version was released by WMS Gaming. The top box shows eight pie-shaped, 3-sided wedges segmented into a circle with each wedge being able to revolve three-dimensional and stop on any of the three sides. in the start of the bonus, each wedge segments displays credit values. There are lights around each wedge that light up randomly until a button press by the player stops the light on a credit wedge. Once the credit wedge is highlighted, all remaining wedges flip to reveal wedges displaying +5 or +10 and random multiplier. The remaining wedges light up randomly and the player has a second chance to try and increase the initial value. If he/she stops the light on the multiplier wedges, then the initial value is multiplied by the wedges multiplier value. If the light stops on a +5, then the player is awarded the initial value plus 5 credits and the game ends. If the light stops on +10, then the player is awarded the initial value plus 10 credits and the game ends. beattheclock.jpg l.jpg Beat the Clock 2008 (1).jpg Trivia This was the first Fremantle-produced game show revival that didn't feature the "Mark Goodson Television Production" name, logo and announcement at the end credits. Photos Production Slate (Pilot) BTC 2002 Pilot Slate.jpg Banner photohdr_BEATTHE.jpg Press Photos btc01thumb.jpg btc02thumb.jpg btc03thumb.jpg btc04thumb.jpg Behind the Scenes Jul26_12.jpg Jul26_13.jpg Jul26_14.jpg Jul26_15.jpg Jul26_16.jpg Jul26_17.jpg Jul26_18.jpg Jul26_19.jpg Jul26_20.jpg Jul26_21.jpg Jul26_22.jpg Jul26_23.jpg Jul26_24.jpg Jul26_25.jpg Jul26_26.jpg Jul26_27.jpg Jul26_28.jpg Jul26_29.jpg Jul26_30.jpg Jul26_31.jpg Jul26_32.jpg Jul26_33.jpg Video See Also Beat the Clock (Radio) Beat the Clock (1950) Beat the Clock (1969) Beat the Clock (1979) Beat the Clock (2018) Links Official Website (via Internet Archive) Beat the Clock slot machine info @ WMSGaming.com (via Internet Archive) A fan page about Beat the Clock (2002) Category:Beat the Clock Category:Game Shows A-M Category:PAX Category:2002 Premiere Category:2003 Ending